Joey and Pacey: Almost a holiday rom-com

Katie Holmes is directing herself and Joshua Jackson in a film called Happy Hours. Apparently, the hope is that it’s a trilogy…which sounds about right this time of year. The holidays are coming up, rom-coms are especially popular during the holidays, rom-coms that take place during the holidays are really popular during the holidays. And they only happen on the Hallmark Channel or Netflix, no longer in theatres. This makes me nostalgic for While You Were Sleeping, The Holiday, and, of course, Love Actually (without the outdated parts). 

Katie and Josh started shooting this movie back in the summer and the reaction then seemed like a collective millennial squeal, followed by a sigh. For Dawson’s Creek, for Joey and Pacey and their happy ending, a what if that never iffed. Until now, probably not, but maybe? No, but why can’t it be?! This was the back and forth on the group chat for weeks. And then they wrapped and either people forgot and/or realised it was too much to hope for. 

Apparently, they’re doing reshoots and once again those sentiments are all over social media and Reddit. A lot of it, to me, has to do with Katie’s smile. That’s the same Joey Potter smile we know so well. She smiles kinda like her tongue is between her teeth – which doesn’t work for most people but somehow on her it’s incredibly endearing. When she’s smiling like that and he’s around, with that same twinkle in his eye, it’s irresistible to an audience of a certain age that was there the first time. So when they do get around to releasing this, the holidays might not be a bad idea for it. That is if a theatrical opening is even possible. How strong is this nostalgia? Strong enough to get people to the multiplex? I would go. Because I get it, the power of nostalgia, for two hours I could suspend disbelief and ride the fantasy of Joey Katie and Pacey Josh in pretend-real life. The irony, though, is that if it does turn out to be the thing that everyone says they hope for, the streets will turn around and call it PR, lol. 

What’s better? Insisting that you’re just friends and professionals and no one believing that you’re just friends and professionals? Or coming out and saying it’s more than professional but no one believing that you’re truly more than professional?